Taika Waititi to Direct Adaptation of Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun
Waititi will bring Ishiguro’s award-winning novel to life with David Heyman and Sony’s 3000 Pictures.
Taika Waititi has definitely proven himself to be one of the most eccentric and entertaining directors (and actor) in recent years, his unique, comedic work meriting diverse acclaim and even a number of awards, such as an Oscar for his historical comedy Jojo Rabbit (2019). He’s been keeping plenty busy with more projects in the pipeline, including an upcoming biographical sports comedy drama called Next Goal Wins, and he’s now got yet another one to add. Per a report from Deadline, Waititi is set to direct the cinematic adaptation of Klara and the Sun, with Sony’s 3000 Pictures overseeing the project.
Klara and the Sun is based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 New York Times best-selling novel of the same name. The adaptation will be helmed by Taika Waititi in a particularly interesting new direction for him, as it’s definitely a genre shift from the more comedic content that he’s used to creating. Of course, we could see something akin to Jojo Rabbit, which had plenty of comedy mixed with some incredibly emotional moments.
The script will be written by Dahvi Waller, while Waititi will likely also co-produce with Harry Potter alum David Heyman and Garrett Basch. The project will be under Heyman’s HeyDay Films, both Jeffrey Clifford and Rosie Alison of the company having initially approached with the idea. Author and Nobel Prize-winner Ishiguro will serve as executive producer alongside both Alison and Clifford.
While there are few details yet about the film’s plot, the premise of the novel follows a robot girl named Klara, who was created to prevent teenagers from becoming lonely. She resides with a family whom she does her best to save from heartbreak.
Ishiguro’s Other Novels That Were Adapted to the Big Screen
Ishiguro’s exceptional literary work is long since known for inevitably making it to big screen, having done so two other times. The first was for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Remains of the Day (1993), which starred legendary actors Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. The premise centered on a butler who sacrificed body and soul to service in the years leading up to World War II realizes too late how misguided his loyalty was to his lordly employer. It was a box office success and subsequently nominated for eight Academy Awards, two of them for Hopkins’ and Thompson’s performances.
The second novel of his that was adapted was Never Let Me Go (2010), a British dystopian romantic tragedy that starred Carrey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield. While not nearly as successful at the box office, it was still considered a beautifully made film, telling the story of a love triangle amidst an alternate world where the human lifespan has been significantly extended thanks to medical breakthrough, but at the cost of harvesting organs from unsuspecting children.
There is currently no preliminary release date for the Klara and the Sun adaptation, or casting news as of yet. Further details on the production will likely follow in the coming months.
Source: MovieWeb
